Davy helps the brothers

"Thank you Uncle Davy." James spoke for the two young men again "We're staying at the Boar and Bull if you hear..." Davy cut him off before he could finish the sentence.

"Nonsense, if Joanna heard that you two were at the door and that I let you stay anywhere but our house, she'd never trust me again." The twins began to protest, but Davy insisted "I mean it, she'd be looking over my shoulder constantly if I got this wrong."

The brothers looked carefully at the man standing before them. The scars that covered the left side of his face made it difficult to judge whether he was joking or not, but after a moment of hesitation Julien answered with as straight a face as he could muster.

"We wouldn't want that sir, we accept your kind offer." The brothers followed Davy into the cottage and when he got to the base of the stairs he yelled up the stairs. "Joanna! get the boys dressed and bring them down, I've brought home two of the finest catches in the whole island chain." Soon enough the cheerful round face of Davy's wife looked down at them from the hallway at the top of the stairs.

"Praise be the Landers!" she exclaimed "Is that the Caruthers boys you have with you?" Leaving some quick instructions with her maid, Joanna came rushing down the stairs two at a time and swept the brothers into a warm hug. "Your Grandma sent word you were in town. I wondered when you were going to show up like the gentlemen she raised." James and Julien exchanged a suprised look and Julien turned to his aunt.

"We're sorry Aunt Joanna, we had no idea she'd written you." She just laughed at their flustered looks.

"Did you really think your Grandma would let you off on your own with-out sending word?" Her smile took some of the sting out of her words. "Boys, one of the Swallow's boys delivered Gemma's message to me before you even got all your bags unloaded." She elbowed Davy sharply in the ribs before she continued "This one refused to send some of his men around to find where you were staying, or I'd have made you stay here from the start." Davy shook his head sadly at the two brothers.

"I'm sorry lads, but you know that your grandmother and Joanna go way back, even before Wilhelm took me under his wing."

"That we do. I remember these two when they were no older than David there." The three men followed he proud gaze to the stairway where a pretty maid was guiding two toddlers down the stairs to the group assembled in the lobby below.

Both boys were dressed in white shirts and blue knee length shorts and suspenders. Neither of the toddlers looked comfortable in their clothes, but both were curious to see the guests who had just arrived.

Davy introduced his two boys, David about four years old and Davy Junior a little over two years. Neither of the children took long to start asking questions and soon all of them had moved to the large sitting room. It took a few more minutes but Davy sent his manservant to the Boar and Bull with a note and a purse provided by the twins to bring their belongings to Davy's house.

"We really can't thank you enough Uncle Davy" Began James when Joanna returned with a tray of cookies and a large jug of milk. It was unclear if Davy's grimace was because of James words or the realization that his wife was offering the young gentlemen milk and cookies as if they were still six years old.

"It is the least I can do for you boys after all your Uncle did for me." Replied Davy with a sincerity that could not be doubted. "If I could remember half of what he taught me I'd own the whole island by now. Your Grandfather boys was the smartest man I've ever met."

Davy told the two a few stories about their grandfather when he was a much younger man, and the twins spent some time assuring Joanna that their grandmother was still healthy and active. Most of the time was spent with the young boys bringing the twins a collection of toys and books to share with their new guests.

Later in the evening when Joanna had taken the exhausted youngsters off to bed well after their bedtime, Davy brought the two large mugs from the tap and offered them a glimmer of hope.

"There is one captain in Freeport that you two haven't approached you know." He started, and stopped the boys confused protests with an explanation. "His ship isn't on the wharfs because it's still docked in my shipyard. I'll talk to him tomorrow and see if he's at all interested."